Accident Overview
The airplane departed from runway 1L. Radar data showed that for 37 seconds after departure, the aircraft maintained a ground speed of approximately 110 knots while climbing to 1,400 feet MSL (642 feet AGL) on a heading of 008 degrees. The final radar return, recorded 14 seconds later, indicated a heading change to 342 degrees and a ground speed of 130 knots. Winds at the time were from 290 degrees at 11 knots.
Witness Observations
Witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying low and slow before it executed a left turn resembling a barrel roll, after which it impacted the ground.
Examination Findings
Post-accident examination of the engines and airframe revealed no pre-existing anomalies. Both the left and right propellers exhibited leading edge damage and chordwise abrasions.
Crew Experience
The pilot had accumulated approximately 1,175 total flight hours, with about 250 hours in the accident aircraft make and model. The copilot had 4,094 total flight hours but only 10 hours of turbine time and no flight time in the accident aircraft type.
Aircraft Configuration and Procedures
The pilot had indicated he was practicing simulated single-engine failures. The landing gear was fully retracted. The trim settings were configured for a right-engine-out situation. The flap selector was set to the "UP" position, but the flaps were found in transit at approximately 2 degrees. According to the Airplane Flight Manual, during an engine failure after takeoff with gear fully retracted, the required airspeed before selecting flaps to 5 degrees is 140 KCAS. The Pilot's Operating Handbook states that flap retraction from 20 to 0 degrees takes approximately 31 seconds, and from 5 to 0 degrees takes about 21 seconds.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause was the pilot in command's failure to maintain control of the aircraft. Contributing factors included the lack of experience of both the pilot and copilot in the aircraft type, and the pilot's failure to follow proper procedures by raising the flaps before reaching 140 knots during a simulated single-engine failure.